Syllabus for Design Anthropology
ANTH 4701/8110 University of North Texas
Dr. Susan Squires
Fall 2013 
Course Description
In recent years, ethnography has become popular with designers of products and technologies as a way of learning about the
experience of the users. This research approach has been applied to such diverse problems as how to design:
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office environments that encourage groupwork and collaboration
websites that fit the “mental model” and usage patterns of their target audiences
museum exhibits that maximize the engagement between visitors and displays
“Design anthropology” is a rapidly growing field of employment for those who wish to work in applied anthropology. In this course,
students learn the fundamentals of the field. By collaborating on an applied project, they gain practice in applied research methods and
video ethnography. They learn to engage in collaborative analysis, and they work with customers to translate their research into
practical applications. In addition to the hands-on experience, students conduct readings on topics relevant to the project and to design
anthropology in general.
Office Hours and Communication with Instructor
My office is on the third floor at 308 Chilton Hall. My office hours are Wednesday 3-5. If local, just stop in. I would also be happy to
talk at other times on Skype: Susan.Squires. You can make an appointment by emailing me at susan.squires@unt.edu or calling me at
970-369-5404.
Online Course Resources
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The syllabus and all other course materials will be made available through Blackboard Learn online course site. Please note that the
email used to send messages on Blackboard Learn is your UNT email. If you prefer to use a personal email, you must forward your
UNT messages to that personal account!
Project Overview
This semester we will again have a class project with a well known corporation who will sponsor our design research. Detailed
information will be provided at a later date.
Client Meetings: We will have two to three client meetings during the semester.
1. An initial meeting will give us the opportunity to meet our client, and allow the client to provide the project background. The
first meeting with our client will be through the use of video conferencing.
2. A meeting at the end of November will be held to check in and make sure we’re on the right track, and get feedback.
3. The final client presentation via videoconferencing will be given during the last class of this course.
Summary of Research Process:
1. Data Collection. Students will work in teams of 2-4 using PBWorks as a shared platform for collaborating.
 Each team will recruit one to two research participants.
 Each team will conduct an in-depth interview with a consumer. The interviews will be recorded.
 Each team will obtain visual documentation during face-to-face interviews.
 After the interviews, the team will write careful field notes or transcribe the interview. They will place their field
notes/transcriptions, the photos, and video clips from the interviews on their PBWorks pages.
 We will have two PBWorks sessions, (days to be determined), where each team can report on their findings from their
fieldwork .
2. Data Analysis. Much of the analysis process will be done in teams, as a collective group. Data analysis will follow a
trajectory of identifying instances, patterns, and models, and then using the models to develop design recommendations.
3. Presentation. Students will develop a list of themes/topics to cover in the client presentations. Each team will write a section
of the presentation focused on one theme/topic. They will analyze everyone’s field notes and photos/video clips to identify
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overall patterns regarding the topic of their section. Teams will also present the information verbally during the final client
presentation, with a couple of PowerPoint slides.
Course Requirements
1. Teamwork and participation (20%).
One of the key skills of a practitioner in applied anthropology is the ability to work well as part of a team. In this class, you will be
evaluated on your teamwork skills, including:
 Active and thoughtful participation in class discussions, both about class readings and about the class project
 Staying focused on the client’s needs
 Good communication and collaboration with your fieldwork partners
 Equal distribution of work between you and your fieldwork partners
 Carrying out your responsibilities in a timely manner
 Good communication with the team leader/professor
 Not implementing sudden inspirations that deviate from the client-approved plan without discussing them and getting
agreement from the rest of class, the professor, and the client
Obviously, if you cannot contribute to discussions, your grade will go down. Students are responsible for all materials and
announcements presented on Blackboard.
Failure to stay current on all class material and assignments will be cause for dismissal from class.
2. Two essay quizzes (15% x 2).
These quizzes will test you on the readings. Instructions for each will be provided two weeks before they are due.
3. Class project (50%).
The class project consists of three major graded activities. You will receive a grade when you have completed each activity, each of
which encompasses several items. Together these will add up to 50% of your course grade.
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In week 7, each team will sign up for a day to present their fieldwork findings. These dates will become your deadlines.
Activity
1.
Interviews
Items Graded
 Field Notes Uploaded to Website
 Photos Uploaded to Website
 Interview Video Clips Uploaded to Website
 Present Fieldwork Data in Class
% of Grade
25
2.
 Theme Development
 Slides for Client Presentation
 Verbal Presentation (if relevant)
25
Report
Required Texts
The required set of articles is available in the Assignment folder on the Design Anthropology Home page.
The reading assignments for each week are summarized in the course schedule, below, and article references are provided in detail at
the end of the syllabus. Readings are not optional. Students will be thoroughly tested on them.
Plagiarism Policy
The department of anthropology does not tolerate plagiarism, cheating, or helping others to cheat. Students suspected of any of these
will be provided the opportunity for a hearing; a guilty finding will merit an automatic “F” in the course. In addition, I reserve the
right to pursue further disciplinary action within the UNT legal system, which may result in dismissal from the university. Plagiarism
is defined as misrepresenting the work of others (whether published or not) as your own. It may be inadvertent or intentional. Any
facts, statistics, quotations, or paraphrasing of any information that is not common knowledge, should be cited. For more information
on paper writing, including how to avoid plagiarism, and how to use citations, see http://www.unt.edu/anthropology/writing.htm. For
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information on the University’s policies regarding academic integrity and dishonesty, see the UNT Center for Student Rights and
Responsibilities, http://www.unt.edu/csrr/.
Non-Discrimination Policy
It is the policy of the University of North Texas not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin,
disability (where reasonable accommodations can be made), disabled veteran status or veteran of the Vietnam era status in its
educational programs, activities, admissions or employment policies. In addition to complying with federal and state equal opportunity
laws and regulations, the university through its diversity policy declares harassment based on individual differences (including sexual
orientation) inconsistent with its mission and education goals. Direct questions and concerns to the Equal Opportunity Office, 940 565
2456, or the Dean of Students, 940 565 2648. TDD access is available through Relay Texas, 800 735 2989.
Anthropology does not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s disability as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The
program provides academic adjustments and aid to individuals with disabilities in its programs and activities. If you have a disability,
you are strongly advised to contact the Office of Disability Accommodations (UU 318A) or by telephone at 940 565 4323. It is the
responsibility of the student to make the necessary arrangements with the instructors.
Student Behavior in the Classroom and in Online Discussion:
Student behavior that interferes with an instructor’s ability to conduct a class or other students' opportunity to learn is unacceptable
and disruptive and will not be tolerated in any instructional forum at UNT. Students engaging in unacceptable behavior will be
directed to leave the classroom/discussion and the instructor may refer the student to the Center for Student Rights and
Responsibilities to consider whether the student's conduct violated the Code of Student Conduct. The university's expectations for
student conduct apply to all instructional forums, including university and electronic classroom, labs, discussion groups, field trips,
etc. The Code of Student Conduct can be found at www.unt.edu/csrr
Course Schedule
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Topics and Assignments
Introductions and Course
Objectives
Weekly Readings
PBWorks Tutorial
Activities
Introductions using PBWorks
WEEK 2
Sept 1
Overview of Design Anthropology
Squires 2002
Fluehr-Lobban 1994
Completion Online Tutorial for IRB
Certificate
WEEK 3
Sept 8
Theory on Material Culture:
The Partnership of Design and
Anthropology
Sacher 2002
Byrnes & Sands 2002
Choose Team Partners
WEEK 4
Sept 15
Psychology & HCI in Design
Research
Week 5
Sept 22
Anthropology & Ethnography in
Design Research
Norman 1988
Sanders 2002
Frascara 2002
Sunderland and Denny 2003
Blomberg et al. 1993
Week 6
Sept 29
Working in Multidisciplinary
Teams
Wasson 2002
Bailey et al 2011
Week 7
Oct 6
Meet Dr. Alexandra Mack,
Workplace Anthropologist at
Pitney Bowes
Overview of Pitney Bowes
Engeström and Escalante 1996
Client Meeting
Metcalf 2009
LeCompte 1999
Design Interview Guide
Sign up for Team Fieldwork Presentation
for either Week 11 or Week 12
WEEK 1
Aug 28
Week 8
Oct 13
Receive Quiz 1 Instructions
Interviewing
and Observation
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Week 9
Oct 20
Interviews
Recruit Interviewees
Interview
Write up interviews notes or transcribe
Quiz 1 Due Friday October 21
Week 10
Oct 27
Interviews
Week 11
Nov 3
Analysis
Sunderland and Denny 2007
Receive Quiz 2 Instructions
Finding Themes in Analysis
Woodruff and Aoki 2004
Ryan and Bernard 2003
Finding Themes in Analysis
N/A
Class Analyzes Data
Teams Select Theme
Quiz 2 Due
Team Themes
N/A
Teams Develop Themes
Prepare Client Presentation Section
Nov 28
Week 15
Dec 1
Thanksgiving
Draft PPT Slides Due
N/A
Prepare Client Presentation Section
Receive Clint Feedback
Week 16
Dec 8
Revisions PPT Slides Due
Presentation date tbd
Week 12
Nov 10
Week 13
Nov 17
Week 14
Nov 24
Interviewing Continues
Write up interviews notes or transcribe
Team Field Work Report Out
Class Analyzes Data
Team Field Work Report Out
Class Analyzes Data
N/A
Client Presentation
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Readings
WEEK 2
WEEK 3
Squires, Susan. 2002. Doing the Work. In Creating breakthrough ideas:
the collaboration of anthropologists and designers in the product
development industry, ed. Susan Squires and Bryan Byrne. Westport:
Bergin & Garvey, 103-124.
Fluehr-Lobban, Carolyn. 1994. Informed Consent in Anthropological
Research: We are not exempt. Human Organization, 53 (1): 1-10.
Byrnes, Bryan and Edward Sands. 2002. In Creating breakthrough ideas:
the collaboration of anthropologists and designers in the product
development industry, ed. Susan Squires and Bryan Byrne. Westport:
Bergin & Garvey, 47-69
Sacher, Heiko. 2002. In Creating breakthrough ideas: the collaboration of
anthropologists and designers in the product development industry, ed.
Susan Squires and Bryan Byrne. Westport: Bergin & Garvey, 175-195.
WEEK 4
Norman, Donald. 1988. The psychopathology of everyday things. In The
design of everyday things. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1-33.
Sanders, Liz. 2002. From user-centered to participatory design
approaches. In Design and the social sciences: making connections,
ed. Jorge Frascara. London: Taylor and Francis, 1-8.
Frascara, Jorge. 2002. People centered design: complexities and
uncertainties. In Design and the social sciences: making connections,
ed. Jorge Frascara. London: Taylor and Francis, 33-39.
Additional Readings will be added by Dr. Keith Owens, CVAD
WEEK 5
Blomberg, Jeanette, Jean Giacomi, Andrea Mosher and Pat Swenton-Wall.
1993. Ethnographic field methods and their relation to design. In
Participatory design: principles and practices, ed. Douglas Schuler
and Aki Namioka. Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 123-155.
Sunderland, Patricia L. and Rita M. Denny. 2003. Psychology vs.
anthropology: where is culture in marketplace ethnography? In
Advertising cultures, ed. Timothy deWaal Malefyt and Brian Moeran.
Oxford: Berg, 187-202.
Additional Readings will be added by Dr. Keith Owens, CVAD
WEEK 6
Bailey, Kathy, Julie Doyle, Susan Squires, Cliodhna Ni Scanaill, Chie Wei
Fan, Clodagh Cunningham, Ben Dromey. 2011 Multidisciplinary
Practice For Creating Successful Assisted Living Technologies For
Older Adults In Ireland.
Wasson, Christina. 2002. Collaborative work: integrating the roles of
ethnographers and designers. In Creating breakthrough ideas: the
collaboration of anthropologists and designers in the product
development industry, ed. Susan Squires and Bryan Byrne. Westport:
Bergin & Garvey, 71-90.
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WEEK 7
Readings about Client
WEEK 8
Metcalf, Crysta. 2009. Interviewing methodology. Unpublished
manuscript.
LeCompte, Margaret Diane. 1999. Chapter 6: In-depth, open-ended
interviewing. In Essential ethnographic methods: observations,
interviews, and questionnaires (Ethnographer’s Toolkit V.2). Walnut
Creek: AltaMira Press, 121-148.
WEEK 11
Woodruff, Allison and Paul M. Aoki. 2004. Conversation analysis and the
user experience. Digital Creativity 15(4):232-238.
https://libproxy.library.unt.edu:9443/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.
com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=16258197&site=ehostlive&scope=site
Sunderland,PatriciaL.andRitaM.Denny.2007.Chapter2:Whatdoes
culturalanalysismean?InDoinganthropologyinconsumer
research.WalnutCreek:LeftCoastPress,43‐56.
Ryan, Gery W. and H. Russell Bernard. 2003. Techniques to identify
themes. Field Methods 15(1):85-109.
http://fmx.sagepub.com/content/15/1/85.full.pdf+html
Week 12
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